The TARDIS: Tuesday Evening

[ten_and_chips]

The kitchen fairly reeks of garam masala, as Ten is cooking up the ever-so-traditional British dish of chicken tikka masala. He doesn't know any human who doesn't like it (though there was that unfortunate incident with UNIT and the Telamarian ambassador...), so hopefully Geoff won't find unacceptable.

There are papadums frying, mango chutney

Comments

[geoff_chaucer]

Once he's finished his poetry class (and had a quick chat with Jack), Geoff stops off at the NPC grocery and picks up a case of beer, then heads over to the park, knocking at the door to the TARDIS.

[ten_and_chips]

The proximity alarm goes off and Ten rushes to the door. He may be wearing an apron. But it's tasteful in plain white.

"Geoff!" He grins as he opens the door and motions him in.

[geoff_chaucer]

"Ten," he replies, grinning and giving the Doctor a quick kiss. "I brought beer, as promised. That smells good!" he adds, turning his attention to the scents coming from the kitchen.

[ten_and_chips]

Ten presses a kiss to Geoff's lips and takes the beer, hurrying back towards the kitchen. "It had best be good, I've worked hard on it." He grins and waits for Geoff to catch up. "Chicken tikka masala. England colonised India and swiped their food, adapted it, and set it on its head."

[geoff_chaucer]

"Really? India? Huh." Geoff sets the beer on the counter and goes over to inspect the cooking. "Well, as I said, it smells delicious."

He leans against the counter and smiles. "So, how have your first days of the new term been?"

[ten_and_chips]

"Relatively uneventful. No new students in my class, sadly." He takes the pans off the stove and whips off his apron, tossing it in the corner. "How about yours, any particularly fascinating developments? We teachers have such boring lives, you know."

[geoff_chaucer]

"Hm...well, I have almost entirely new students this term, in both classes, excepting Kiki Takayama and Hamlet Dane. I've also been talked into offering a Western Lit independent study for Kiki and Phoebe Halliwell. Oh, and CJ's agreed to do a guest lecture for me on speech as part of the oral literature lesson."

He cocks his head, thinking. "Let's see, what else. Oh! Greg House is sitting in on some of my classes. We're trading poetry lessons for piano lessons."

[ten_and_chips]

"Sounds busy. Almost too busy." Ten's been setting the table. "Never slow down, smell the roses? But I daresay poetry for piano's a fair trade, and I hear that Dr House plays well." He serves up the food and sets out four beers, unable to stop grinning.

"Sit yourself down, mon poèt, stay a while."

[geoff_chaucer]

"Not that busy, Ten. It's just the two classes, and two intelligent young woman doing the work on their own and meeting with me once a week at my office hours. The piano lessons are for fun."

Geoff smiles and takes a seat. "I like House. He's interesting. And he seems to be a very talented musician, although I'll admit he's the only person I've ever heard play the piano. Except for me. And judging against me, he's phenomenal," he adds, laughing.

Taking a taste of the curry, Geoff raises his eyebrows and grins. "It's very good, Ten."

[ten_and_chips]

"I've not made his acquaintance, though I've run into Dr Wilson perhaps more than I'd like to, sadly. Not that I dislike the man, but doctors and I..." He laughs a little at the irony. "You know. And I'd forgotten that you're before the advent of the keyboard instruments. I used to be able to play some, but I've probably lost the talent somewhere along the line."

[geoff_chaucer]

Geoff nods at the mention of Wilson. "I met him a couple of times, Dr. Wilson that is. I ran into House at the New Year's Eve party. He was playing in the lounge." Raising an eyebrow, he says, "I didn't know you were musical. We should hunt up a piano for you to play sometime. I, sadly, have no musical talent at all. House is just humoring me."

[ten_and_chips]

"I've had long enough to get in some practice at far too many instruments in my time." There's just a tinge of innuendo on the words. "I was good at the violin, once upon a time, too. And I'm sure, from what I know of him, House wouldn't let you anywhere near him if you had no talent--he doesn't seem to suffer fools lightly."

[geoff_chaucer]

"I didn't say I was a fool," Geoff replies, grinning. He takes a drink of his beer to wash down the curry. "So, you have repeat students then? I'd call that a compliment, if they want to take your class a second time. Did I tell you Kiki is TAing for me this term? She's really a delight to have in class."

[ten_and_chips]

"She and I haven't met either," Ten says, frowning and finishing his own first beer. "I need to get out more, I think. And the class required last term as a prerequisite..."

A pause. "Would you excuse me for a moment?" He pushes back his chair, leaves the room, and comes back a bit later with a box which smells faintly of pine.

[geoff_chaucer]

"Ah, see. There's your problem. It's harder to get new students if you require them to be old students," Geoff teases.

Watching curiously, he nods as the Doctor leaves the table, looking even more curious when the box appears. "What's this?"

[ten_and_chips]

Ten laughs and plops back down in his chair. "It's your Christmas present. So open it."